Leonia is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,304, an increase of 367 (+4.1%) from the 2010 census count of 8,937, which in turn reflected an increase of 23 (+0.3%) from the 8,914 counted in the 2000 census. The borough is a suburb of New York City, near the western approach to the George Washington Bridge. Leonia was formed as the result of a referendum passed on December 5, 1894, from portions of Ridgefield Township. The borough formed during the "boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone. Portions of Leonia were taken on February 19, 1895, to form the Township of Teaneck. New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Leonia the 31st-best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

History

Leonia's original inhabitants were the Hackensack tribe (Ashkineshacky) of Native Americans. The population was about 1,000 before the Europeans settled in the area. At the time of the American Revolutionary War, Leonia was known as part of the English Neighborhood, a name that survives in neighboring Englewood. It was settled in 1668 mainly by Dutch and English farmers, making it one of the oldest communities in the state. A third of the population was African slaves. It was on the western slope of the Palisades, and started as a quiet farming community. Leonia's proximity to New York City and its major universities, theaters, and performing venues contributed to its place in the world of art and academics, with many artists and leading thinkers living there in the 20th century. The local economy that had focused on agriculture underwent economic and cultural growth during the late 19th century, marked by the introduction of train service. Leonia was originally called West Fort Lee. In 1865, J. Vreeland Moore and other town leaders chose the name "Leonia" in honor of American Revolutionary War General Charles Lee, for whom Fort Lee is named. In 1899, after traveling through Leonia upon arriving in New Jersey by ferry at Edgewater, advertising executive Artemus Ward purchased a large piece of land and established the Leonia Heights Land Company to develop and market housing in the community. His advertising attracted many academics and artists who were drawn to Leonia's small size, culture, and location, leading to the town's nickname, the "Athens of New Jersey". In 1915, Harvey Dunn established the Leonia School of Illustration, fostering the artists' colony that emerged over the next decade. By the 1930s, it had the highest number of residents per capita in Who's Who in America, and 80% of its residents were college graduates. Transportation through the borough was enhanced by access to ferries and trolley systems, and Leonia became a refuge for many of America's most creative thinkers, including five Nobel Prize winners. For 200 years, one of Leonia's two major north-south avenues, Grand Avenue (the other is Broad Avenue), was called the English Neighborhood Road. In colonial times, it served as the main inland route between Paulus Hook, Bergen, and the English Neighborhood. Leonia was a crossroads of the American Revolution and a training ground for American Civil War soldiers. Historic places in Leonia include the Civil War Drill Hall and Armory and the Cole-Allaire House, constructed around 1765, making it the borough's oldest dwelling, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Vreeland House, constructed in 1786 by Dirck Vreeland and expanded in 1815, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Leonia celebrates "Leonia Day" annually on the third Sunday in May.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has an area of 1.63 square miles (4.22 km2), including 1.52 square miles (3.94 km2) of land and 0.11 square miles (0.27 km2) of water (6.50%). The borough center's elevation is 115 ft, but the borough's western part can reach 5 ft and the eastern part 318 ft. The borough borders the Bergen County municipalities of Englewood, Fort Lee, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park and Teaneck. Leonia is designated as a Tree City USA, receiving its 21st annual recognition in 2010 from the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 8,937 people, 3,284 households, and 2,519 families in the borough. The population density was 5819.5 /sqmi. There were 3,428 housing units at an average density of 2232.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 55.22% (4,935) White, 2.34% (209) Black or African American, 0.16% (14) Native American, 35.12% (3,139) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 3.71% (332) from other races, and 3.44% (307) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.66% (1,489) of the population. Korean Americans accounted for 26.5% of the population. Of the 3,284 households, 34.8% had children under the age of 18; 61.2% were married couples living together; 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.3% were non-families. Of all households, 20.0% were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.13. 22.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.9 males. Same-sex couples headed 35 households in 2010, more than double the 17 counted in 2000. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $66,271 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,365) and the median family income was $91,129 (+/− $16,890). Males had a median income of $54,754 (+/− $8,175) versus $60,057 (+/− $8,680) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,030 (+/− $4,132). About 5.8% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 8,914 people, 3,271 households, and 2,436 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,921.3 PD/sqmi. There were 3,343 housing units at an average density of 2,220.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 65.74% White, 2.27% African American, 0.09% Native American, 26.06% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.20% from other races, and 2.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.73% of the population. There were 3,271 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.20. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $72,440, and the median income for a family was $84,591. Males had a median income of $55,156 versus $38,125 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,352. About 5.0% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 Census, 17.24% of Leonia's residents identified themselves as being of Korean ancestry, which was the fourth-highest in the United States and second-highest of any municipality in New Jersey—behind neighboring Palisades Park (36.38%)—for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. Additionally, 3.07% of Leonia's residents identified themselves as being of Japanese ancestry, which was the fourth-highest of any municipality in New Jersey — behind Fort Lee (6.09%), Demarest (3.72%) and Edgewater (3.22%)—for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.

Arts and culture

Leonia is home to the Players Guild of Leonia, New Jersey's oldest continuing theatre troupe and one of the oldest community theatre groups in the state, with continuous performances since 1919. Performances have included comedies, tragedies, classics, and musicals. The Guild's 1940 production of One Mad Night was the first three-act play performed on television, when it was broadcast on WPTZ, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Children's Show was instituted in 1963 and continues each spring. Between 1968 and 1998, the Guild produced Theatre in the Park. Since 2002, the Guild has produced a Playwright's Showcase featuring original scripts. The Guild operates out of the historic Civil War Drill Hall Theatre on Grand Avenue, which is leased from the borough. Recent productions include Lovers and Other Strangers, The Glass Menagerie, Love, Loss, and What I Wore and Hair. Upcoming productions include a fall production of Guys and Dolls. Since 2000, Leonia has also been home to Summerstage at Leonia, which produces a Broadway-style family musical each summer in the last two weeks of July. Summerstage performances were originally held in the Leonia High School Little Theater but now take place at the Civil War Drill Hall Theater. Auditions are held in May and open to all in the NYC metro area. Past shows have included The Wizard of Oz, Carousel, The Sound of Music, Annie, Oliver, Les Miserables, My Fair Lady, and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. The Leonia Chamber Musicians Society, founded in 1973, is made up of professional musicians who reside in Leonia, and gives classical music concerts four times a year at various venues in the borough. Leonia aims to build its art and cultural environment by displaying outdoor sculpture throughout the community and in the Erika and David Boyd Sculpture Garden, on the grounds of the Leonia Borough Annex. This group sponsors an annual Taste of Leonia fundraiser. Leonia Arts provides a calendar of all arts events in Leonia.

Parks and recreation

Leonia has five public recreational areas, of which only the Leonia Swim Club requires a membership fee. The recreation areas include Wood Park, on the corner of Broad Avenue and Fort Lee Road; Sylvan Park and the Leonia Swim Club, both on Grand Avenue near Sylvan Avenue; and the Recreational Center on Broad Avenue, which has an indoor basketball court. Overpeck County Park, a Bergen County park in Leonia, Ridgefield Park, and Teaneck, is home to the county's World Trade Center Memorial. Field Station: Dinosaurs is a dinosaur-themed park in Overpeck County Park, just south of Interstate 95, with 32 animatronic dinosaurs.

Government

Local government

Leonia is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, New Jersey's most common form of government. The governing body comprises a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis in the November general election. Voters directly elect a mayor to a four-year term. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats up for election each year in a three-year cycle. Leonia's borough form of government is "weak mayor / strong council", in which council members act as the legislative body, with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and makes most appointments with the council's advice and consent. , Leonia's mayor is Democrat William Ziegler, whose term ends on December 31, 2027. Members of the Leonia Borough Council are Council President Christoph Hesterbrink (D, 2025), Scott Fisher (D, 2025), Louis Grandelis (D, 2024), Diane M. Scarangella (D, 2026), Joanne Choi Terrell (D, 2024), and Jordan D. Zeigler (D, 2026).

Federal, state, and county representation

Leonia is in New Jersey's 5th congressional district and New Jersey's 37th state legislative district. It was in the 9th congressional district from 2013 to 2022.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were 4,713 registered voters in Leonia, of whom 2,493 (52.9% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 598 (12.7% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans, and 1,619 (34.4% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. Three voters were registered as Libertarians or Greens. Of the borough's 2010 census population, 52.7% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 67.9% of those over 18 (vs. 73.7% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,451 votes (66.8% vs. 54.8% countywide) to Republican Mitt Romney's 1,135 (30.9% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates' 47 (1.3% vs. 0.9%). The borough's 5,065 registered voters cast 3,668 ballots, for a turnout of 72.4% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Obama received 2,604 votes (65.9% vs. 53.9% countywide) to Republican John McCain's 1,273 (32.2% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates' 30 (0.8% vs. 0.8%). The borough's 5,050 registered voters cast 3,953 ballots, for a turnout of 78.3% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 2,468 votes (64.4% vs. 51.7% countywide) to Republican George W. Bush's 1,327 (34.6% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates' 25 (0.7% vs. 0.7%). The borough's 4,878 registered voters cast 3,835 ballots, for a turnout of 78.6% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 50.8% of the vote (1,078 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 47.9% (1,015 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (27 votes), among the 2,205 ballots cast by the borough's 4,826 registered voters (85 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 1,682 ballots cast (60.7% vs. 48.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 901 votes (32.5% vs. 45.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 120 votes (4.3% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 7 votes (0.3% vs. 0.5%), among the 2,773 ballots cast by the borough's 4,880 registered voters, yielding a 56.8% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education

Leonia is served by its public system and by a number of private schools. The Leonia Public Schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,952 students and 170.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.4:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Anna C. Scott Elementary School with 663 students in grades Pre-K–5, Leonia Middle School with 533 students in grades 6–8 and Leonia High School with 740 students in grades 9–12. Students from Edgewater attend the district's schools for grades 7–12 as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Edgewater Public Schools. Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district. St. John the Evangelist School was a Catholic school for students in grades Pre-K–8, operating under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. After 72 years and generations of graduates, it was closed in June 2013.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had 23.02 mi of roadways, of which 19.53 mi were maintained by the municipality, 1.12 mi by Bergen County, 1.56 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 0.81 mi by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Route 93 (Grand Avenue) runs north-south for 1.5 mi through the center of the borough, connecting Palisades Park and Englewood. Interstate 95 (the New Jersey Turnpike) curves along the borough's northern border while U.S. Route 1/9 and U.S. Route 46 briefly enter along the western border with Fort Lee. Effective January 22, 2018, Leonia officials banned nonresidents from using residential streets (defined as all streets except Fort Lee Road, Grand Avenue, and Broad Avenue) during rush hours. But due to complaints from business owners citing decreased revenues, Leonia officials are reconsidering.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus route 166 provides local and express service from Broad Avenue to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, and route 182 serves the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal, with local service offered on the 751, 755 and 756 routes. Rockland Coaches provides service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on several routes. The Northern Branch Corridor Project is a proposal to extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to restore passenger train service on the CSX tracks, which offered passenger service decades before and is now used for occasional freight service. NJ Transit's plan would include a station in Leonia.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Leonia include:

In popular culture

Leonia briefly served as the home of Scarlet Witch and Vision in several Marvel Comics storylines from the 1980s, mainly in The Vision and the Scarlet Witch series, the second of which was drawn by Leonia resident Richard Howell. This domestic storyline was later loosely adapted in the 2021 TV series WandaVision, although the location was changed to the fictional town of Westview, New Jersey.

Sources